Holyrood seeking views on city region deals

The Local Government and Communities Committee is starting its research into city region deals and their impact

Stirling city deal: Picture credit - Stirling Council

A Holyrood committee has called for the public to submit their views on city deals, as it begins an inquiry on the subject.

The Local Government and Communities Committee is looking for a variety of opinions from organisations and members of the public on the purpose of city and region deals, whether they are working for communities and how they are being run.

There are currently three active deals in Scotland, including Glasgow, Aberdeen and Inverness, which aim to grow regional economies, boost jobs and build collaborative partnerships.

Local Government and Communities Committee convener, Bob Doris MSP said: “We’ve all seen the headlines and attention given to the wave of new city region deals that are popping up across the country.

“The original city deals brought the opportunity for significant investment from both Scottish and UK Governments to boost local economies out with London.

“There was much excitement and anticipation around the additional investment, which could be of strategic benefit to local economies and communities.

“Our committee now wants to examine this from a local government perspective. We want to hear from the general public, organisations and businesses on whether they think city region deals are on track to deliver local growth and innovation across Scotland.”

City region deals are also underway in Edinburgh and Stirling, while a joint proposal is being considered in Perth and Dundee.